


Kingdom Hearts: Darkest Before the Dawn

by GAvillain



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Disney villains - Freeform, Fan Game Concept, Friendship, Gay Riku (Kingdom Hearts), Gen, Has nothing to do with Xehanort or the Lost Masters or any of that convoluted mess, Kingdom Hearts III - Limit Cut, Main antagonist Maleficent, Midquel, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Riku-centric (Kingdom Hearts), Set during the one year gap in Limit Cut, Side Story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:00:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24047065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GAvillain/pseuds/GAvillain
Summary: Sora is missing, the other Lights are elsewhere, and Kairi has gone to sleep for a year. That leaves Riku and King Mickey to look after the other worlds. Riku's used to handling everything by himself, but Mickey's there to remind Riku that he has a lot more friends looking out for him than he thinks. When Maleficent takes advantage of the situation to make her latest power play, Riku and Mickey are put to the test as they seek to keep her away from the fabled Cornerstone of Darkness.A Kingdom Hearts side-game concept set during the one year gap in Kingdom Hearts III: Limit Cut. The plot is pretty simple and standalone, mostly focusing on character development and world-hopping adventure. Cutscenes are written out like a traditional fanfic; gameplay segments are summarized and explained to accompany the story segments.
Relationships: Mickey Mouse & Riku (Kingdom Hearts)
Kudos: 8





	Kingdom Hearts: Darkest Before the Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> As stated in the summary, this is my concept for a standalone side game in the Kingdom Hearts franchise. Cutscenes are written out like a traditional fanfic; gameplay segments are summarized and explained to accompany the story segments. This is designed as a Kingdom Hearts side game like Birth By Sleep or Dream Drop Distance. BBS featured ten worlds total (not counting the Mirage Arena), so that's the number that I am limiting myself to.

The whirring of the various machines in Ansem's laboratory produced a low hum that was somehow both calming and unsettling all at once. Ansem the Wise, Ienzo, and Even were all hard at work making preparations, and Kairi was sitting on a stretcher next to Riku.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Riku asked as he looked over at Kairi. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

Riku already knew Kairi's answer. Whenever she set her mind to something, nothing could deter her. Still, the prospect of her going to sleep for a whole year made Riku's heart sink. He'd already lost one of his best friends, and to lose another so soon after Sora was practically unthinkable.

"Riku," Kairi said as she placed a soft hand over his. "I'll be fine. And I _do_ have to do this. Sora used the power of waking to save _me_. If there's a way to find him, it's inside my heart."

Riku sighed. "I know, but-"

"If you two are QUITE through," Even interrupted with an exasperated tone, "I need to put the subject under anesthetic."

Kairi nodded. "I'm ready."

Riku held out his hand, and Kairi took it as Even slipped the gas mask onto her face. She put on a brave face, but Riku could tell from how tightly she held his hand that she was afraid.

"Count backwards from ten," Even instructed.

Kairi blinked in acknowledgement and began to do so. "Ten... Nine... Eight... Seven..."

And she was off. Riku could feel her hand go limp as she slipped off into slumber.

"Subject is under," Even announced as he removed the mask from her face.

"Then let us begin," Ansem said with a nod. "Don't worry, Riku, she's in very capable hands."

"I know," Riku said with a slight grin despite the sadness he was feeling in his heart.

Ienzo placed a sympathetic hand on Riku's back. "I'll walk you out."

Ienzo escorted Riku out to Ansem's study and opened the door out to the corridors for him.

"Thank you for this," Riku said. "This is really important to her..." He realized how that sounded and immediately added, "and me too!"

Ienzo smiled. "We're only too happy to help do whatever we can to find Sora. We all owe him more than I'm sure many of us even realize."

"Right," Riku nodded as he began to walk off.

"Er, Riku," Ienzo called out, stopping him in his tracks. "Would you like to stay? ... That is, I mean, you're more than welcome to remain in the castle if you wish. I know the memories of this castle are hardly pleasant, but we've left your old room undisturbed if you wished to move back in."

Riku shook his head. "Thanks for the offer, but no."

"Where will you go?" Ienzo asked curiously.

"Terra, Aqua, and Ven are in the Realm of Darkness," Riku answered. "Donald and Goofy are off retracing Sora's steps, the Twilight Town gang only just now finally got to be reunited, and now Kairi's asleep too. With Sora gone, someone has to protect the worlds from darkness, and it's gotta be me."

Ienzo nodded with a smile. "A task you're well suited to. No one's ever had a way with darkness the way that you do. I knew it from the moment you entered Castle Oblivion."

Riku smiled and took his leave of the hallway.

"Let's hope the dawn is still waiting for me in the end."

* * *

_As the cutscene fades out, the title logo crossfades in:_

_**Kingdom Hearts: Darkest Before the Dawn** _

_As the logo fades out, the opening cinematic music video begins, set to "Face My Fears" from Kingdom Hearts III. The opening is basically a recap of the main events of KHIII with a particular focus on Riku. The cinematic contains flashbacks to scenes of Kingdom Hearts 1 about Riku and Maleficent interwoven. The final shot of the music video is Riku performing a magic attack and the magic swirling until it takes the form of the Cornerstone of Light._

_The shot of the Cornerstone crossfades into the next cutscene set in the Hall of the Cornerstone in Disney Castle..._

* * *

King Mickey, Merlin, and Master Yen Sid were already standing in front of the Cornerstone of Light when Riku arrived. The three seemed to be deep in conversation whilst a large owl sat sleeping atop Merlin's hat. When Yen Sid noticed Riku, he beckoned for him to approach.

"I'm glad you could make it, Riku," Yen Sid said as the young Keyblade master joined them.

"It's good to see ya!" Mickey said with a big smile.

"It's good to see you too, your maj- Er, Mickey," Riku corrected himself when he noticed the look Mickey was giving him. "Have you found anything about Sora?"

Mickey and Merlin hung their heads as Yen Sid shook his head somberly. Riku sighed and slumped his shoulders a bit. When Yen Sid called him to Disney Castle on an urgent matter, Riku hoped against hope that they'd found something that could lead to Sora. Still, Riku knew that Yen Sid wouldn't have summoned him here for something that wasn't important.

"I'm ready to help with whatever you need me for, master," Riku said dutifully.

"Riku, did Sora ever tell ya about the Cornerstone of Light?" Mickey asked.

"The name sounds familiar," Riku answered, "but I'd be lying if I said I remembered every detail of Sora's adventures."

"The Cornerstone protects the castle from darkness," Mickey explained. "Ya ever wonder how come no Heartless are ever in the castle? That's all because of the Cornerstone!"

"Yes, it's a very ancient magic," Merlin added, "born of the purest light back in the age of fairy tales. Why, I've seen it across all of time, sharing its beautiful light with those who deserve it."

Riku suddenly began to feel a bit self-conscious about his own worthiness to be in the Cornerstone's presence. "Is something wrong with it?"

"Not yet," Merlin replied.

"Yet?" Riku asked.

"Back when Sora was here last, Maleficent used the power of time to interfere with the Cornerstone," Merlin explained. "She was able to use her powers to fill this entire room with thorns and allow Heartless to emerge in the castle. I was able to help Sora stop her schemes, but Maleficent is relentless."

"I know that all too well," Riku said somberly.

"Yes, yes," Merlin nodded. "Well I've had a vision of the future. A terrible vision!"

"The future?" Riku asked. "Wait? You mean you can see _everything_ before it happens?"

"Yes! Everything!" Merlin boasted.

This seemed to raise the owl, Archimedes, from his slumber. "Ah-ah-ah. _Everything_ , Merlin?"

Merlin sputtered a bit at that. "Well, w-well, no, no, not... not _everything_. I must admit I've no inkling as to how my vision comes about, but I have seen Maleficent getting her hands on a terrible power, The Cornerstone of _Darkness_."

"So there's a dark version of this somewhere out in the worlds?" Riku asked as he gestured towards the Cornerstone of Light.

"Yes, yes, of course," Merlin nodded. "For every to, there is a fro. For every stop, a go. For every dark, a light, and for every light, a dark. That's what makes the worlds go round."

"Do we know where it is?" Riku asked.

Mickey shook his head. "Nope. But luckily neither does Maleficent, so we've got time to get to it first!"

"It is a heavy task to rest on your shoulders, Riku," Yen Sid said, "but there are few who know Maleficent as well as you, and with Sora still missing, we must take measures to protect the worlds."

"I'll do whatever it takes," Riku said definitively.

"Great!" Mickey said with a happy laugh.

"Splendid indeed," Merlin agreed.

"Before you set off on your quest, I think it would be wise to conduct a bit of training," Yen Sid chimed in. "Though you are a true Keyblade Master, even masters should ensure that they remain sharp."

Riku nodded. "Good idea!"

* * *

_Thus begins the gameplay tutorial to teach newcomers the mechanics. The tutorial is done in a Riku vs Mickey training session. Riku's gameplay is almost identical to his gameplay in Dream Drop Distance with the Command Deck feature returning. Kingdom Hearts veterans will have the option to skip this sequence._

* * *

"Gosh, Riku, you're as strong as ever!" Mickey said once the training session ended.

"You're not so bad yourself, Mickey," Riku replied with a laugh.

Yen Sid beamed at his two former apprentices, now both full fledged masters in their own right. He made no efforts to hide the pride in his eyes.

"The worlds are indeed in good hands," Yen Sid declared. "Now then, go forth my pupils. Your journey has begun!"

* * *

_You're now free to play around and explore Disney Castle. Mickey Mouse is your party member, and he'll follow you wherever you go. The Disney Castle map is the same as it is in Kingdom Hearts II. Yen Sid and Merlin are both available to be spoken to in the Hall of the Cornerstone. Their approached dialogue is as follows:_

_Merlin: "Keep your chin up, my boy! Strength of heart will carry you through the hardest of trials!"_

_Yen Sid: "Perhaps you would like to train a bit more before you depart?"  
Responses are: "I think I could use a review" (restarts the tutorial) or "No, I'm good to go" (exits the conversation)_

_Treasure chests are, of course, scattered throughout the areas. No Heartless spawn in Disney Castle. Once you leave the Audience Chamber and enter the Colonade, a brief cutscene is triggered._

* * *

"Ready to set sail?" Riku asked as he turned to face Mickey.

"Not just yet," Mickey answered. "We should probably check in on the town first. Could be real handy stocking up on stuff before we go, and I at least wanna say good-bye to Minnie before we leave."

Riku nodded. "Right."

* * *

_The layout of the rest of Disney Castle is also still the same as in Kingdom Hearts II, and you're free to explore the Library, the Courtyard, and the Gummi Hanger to look for treasure chests. The one change from KHII is the Courtyard now has a gate that leads out to Disney Town._

_The Town Plaza is the only part of Disney Town that's explorable, but it has the exact same layout as in Birth By Sleep. Once you arrive in the Town Plaza, a cutscene is triggered._

* * *

Queen Minnie, Daisy Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Chip, and Dale were all gathered together under the gazebo in the center of the plaza when Riku and Mickey approached. Once Minnie spotted Mickey, she let out a deep sigh.

"You're leaving again, aren't you?" Minnie asked sadly.

Mickey looked down at the ground sheepishly. "Afraid so."

Mickey let out a startled yelp as he was enveloped into a big hug with Minnie.

"Stay safe," she told her husband.

Mickey hugged Minnie back before saying. "I will be!"

Riku felt a sharp pang in his chest when it dawned on him that he didn't have anyone to see him off on his mission this time. He had no one to say good-bye to. He thought back to how Sora used to hug him like that, and the possibility that he might never see Sora again crept into his mind. Riku shook his head to banish the thought. He had to stay focused on the mission.

"The Gummi Ship is all ready for you to go!" Chip said proudly

"With our new upgrade, you can warp directly to worlds you set on your map!" Dale added.

"Cuts travel time in half!" Chip boasted.

"If you see Donald out there, you tell him that he forgot our date _again_ ," Daisy chimed in. "We're going to have a serious talk when he gets back!"

"I'll, uh, be sure to let him know," Riku said awkwardly.

"And, of course, my nephews are runnin' me shops around town," Scrooge said. "Stock up on anything ye need before ye go! I, ehehe, would give ye a hero's discount, but I wouldn't want to insult ye with such a thing. Everything at full price to ensure quality!"

Riku and Mickey shared a glance and burst out laughing. Some things never changed.

"We wouldn't have it any other way," Mickey said.

* * *

_You're free to wander around the Town Plaza. There are a few treasure chests to open containing items or command deck commands._

_Huey, Dewey, and Louie each run a shop around the outer rim of the plaza. Huey runs the accessory shop, Dewey runs the item shop, and Louie runs the command deck shop. All of their wares are lower level starter game equipment at this point, but they'll get new inventory after specific milestones._

_You start off with 500 munny, which doesn't really go that far, but it's generally a good idea to purchase some starter accessories from Huey at least._

_Around the plaza, you can speak to Minnie, Daisy, Chip, Dale, Scrooge, and Mickey. On return visits, Minnie and Daisy are found in the castle library, Chip and Dale are found in the Gummi Hanger, and only Scrooge remains in the plaza. Their dialogue is unchanged, though, and is as follows:_

_Minnie: "Riku, please take care of Mickey for me."_

_Daisy: "I hope Donald knows he's in hot water again."_

_Chip: "The Gummi ship is even better than before! You can go directly to the worlds without the hassle!"_

_Dale: "Happy flyin' out there!"_

_Scrooge: "Use the wares from me shops to keep yourself hale and hearty on your journey. They can make a real difference out there!"_

_If you attempt to leave the plaza, you'll be blocked from exiting with a notification saying "I should talk to Mickey to make sure he's ready."_

_Mickey: "I'm ready whenever you are, Riku."  
Responses are: "Let's go!" (triggers the next cutscene) or "I need more time to prepare" (exits the conversation)_

* * *

The Gummi Ship hovered over the Disney Town Plaza. Riku and Mickey stood in the cockpit, waving good-bye to everyone down below. Merlin, Archimedes, and Yen Sid joined the group gathered down below to see them off. The inhabitants of Disney Town waved good-bye to their beloved King and his trusted friend. Minnie wiped away a stray tear, and Riku suddenly felt guilty for taking Mickey away from home again.

"Look, Mickey, I can do this on my own," Riku said. "If you want to stay, then-"

"No way," Mickey interrupted. "Remember what Sora told ya? You've gotta stop tryin' to do everything by yourself. Your friends are your power, and as long as you need my help, I'm gonna be right there beside ya."

"But you've got so many other friends who love you back here," Riku said. "Doesn't it hurt leaving them behind?"

"It hurts a little, but I know I'll see 'em again real soon," Mickey answered. "Besides, I can't sit back and let you face the danger alone. My heart wouldn't let me. So I'm comin' along with ya, Riku, and that's that."

Riku was taken aback a bit at first but a small smile broke out onto his face. No matter what had become of Sora or Kairi, Riku knew he'd always have at least one good friend who'd have his back no matter what.

"Thank you, Mickey," Riku said with a nod.

"Now no more frownin'!" Mickey ordered. "This boat runs on happy faces!"

With the final matter settled, the Gummi Ship rocketed away into the atmosphere, vanishing into the sky with a sparkle of light.

* * *

The ruined halls of Villain's Vale stood as a monument to how far Maleficent fallen. No longer was she the type to hold host in the grand hall of a magnificent palace. Now she was simply reduced to dwelling within a pile of rubble left behind by the reconstruction of the Hollow Bastion castle. Admittedly, the Vale had grown on her. It was humbling and provided an adequate representation of her current relevancy, for Hollow Bastion had never truly been hers. It was all a part of Xehanort's plan. She'd been reduced to a puppet, but now he was gone and the strings were cut. Her advancement now would be of her own making.

"Thank you all for joining me," Maleficent said as she turned to face the allies who she'd gathered.

From her previous council of villains, Hades, Jafar, and Ursula had been invited back, and the three of them gathered around the stone table. In addition, two new villains joined the assemblage: a woman with black and white hair who wrapped herself in an immense fur coat and a woman dressed in queenly regalia topped in a prominent golden crown. Though neither of them had faced Sora directly, both had grudges against the Keyblade for their own reasons.

"Gotta say, wasn't exactly jumping at the chance to be back here again," Hades said, "especially since last time I saw ya, you were off on your whole box hunting booga-booga. How'd that go, by the way? And where _is_ that blubberhead who's always followin' you around?"

"That would be none of your concern," Maleficent said with a sneer.

"I beg to differ," Jafar hissed, " _particularly_ given that you saw fit to have him attempt to turn me into a lowly Heartless rather than release me from that _wretched lamp!_ "

"Keep your scales on, angelfish," Ursula cooed. "What's a little treachery between old friends?"

"Yeah, well, for a friendly reunion, we sure do have a lot of new faces," Hades pointed out as he gestured at the two women. "Who are the old hags?"

" _Hags?_ " the one wearing the crown asked as her eyes flashed with rage. "I am no hag. I am a _queen_! And you shall _bow_ before royalty!"

"Oh, darling, I'm sorry, did you say something?" the fur clad woman asked. "I couldn't hear you over your ghastly sense of fashion."

"Silence, you fools!" Maleficent bellowed as thunder crashed around her to punctuate her intensity. "The Evil Queen and Cruella De Vil are welcome additions to our forces, far more than other imbeciles who were _not_ invited to return."

Jafar, Hades, and Ursula took the time to notice that Captain Hook and Oogie Boogie were not in attendance, and, quite frankly, they preferred it that way. Maleficent approached the stone table and tapped its surface with the tip of her staff. A green rune took form on the table, and an image took shape hovering over it. The illusion depicted a relic nearly identical to the Cornerstone of Light, but the base was obsidian instead of marble and instead of a brilliant orb of light topping this cornerstone, it held up a smoky purple orb that seemed to be a deep dark void.

"Now then," Maleficent began. "To the matter at hand...."

* * *

_The cutscene ends and cuts back to the world map. Just like Chip and Dale said, there are no Gummi ship travel times in this game. Your world map is pretty much exactly like the one in Birth By Sleep where you fly your cursor up to the world on the map you want to go to and then immediately disembark._

_There's only one world on the map that's available to you at this time, so fly your cursor over to it and disembark to arrive at..._

_Radiant Garden._


End file.
